Format: ARC

Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz | Book Review

Posted January 29, 2026 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz
Series: Curses and Crowns #1
Published by Red Tower Books on January 6, 2026
Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance
Pages: 410
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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She’s a barmaid who doesn’t believe in fairy tales. He’s a prince cursed to live one.

Aren Bellamore has no interest in being anyone’s princess. She’s too busy running the Raven’s Beak tavern, fending off unwanted marriage proposals, and dreaming of escape. But when a brush with death and a dangerously handsome stranger upend her life, Aren finds herself bound to a bargain that could change everything.

Prince Dietan has carried the cursed Rings of Fate ancient weapons of devastating power since childhood. The magic is killing him, and the enemies are closing in. To make the journey to reverse his curse, he needs a bride to hide his secrets. Aren wants freedom. Pretending to be his fiancée should give them both what they want.

But as their perilous journey pits them against political schemes, monstrous Kilandrar, and a growing attraction neither can deny, the line between make-believe and destiny begins to blur. And the fate of two kingdoms may depend on whether a cynical barmaid and a cursed prince are willing to risk their hearts.

You can tell early on that Rings of Fate is meant to be light, cozy, and funny. It’s not the kind of story that wants you to take it super seriously, and I appreciate that in a book! Often we see really complicated fantasies that require note taking and laser-beam focus. I’ve even found myself throwing my hands up in the air and not even trying to remember everything and hoping I’ll understand what’s going on when I need to. Aside from the intense amount of names (people, places, etc.) I found Rings of Fate very easy to follow. You do need to be a bit patient, though, as the beginning was kind of slow. I enjoy books that don’t make my brain hurt and don’t require a ton of concentration and memorization because, let’s be honest. There’s a LOT going on in the world right now, much of it stressful and scary and upsetting, so having a book that’s easy to escape into for a little while is a gift. It’s light on the magic and worldbuilding, so you can jump in and be just fine not really knowing where or when this book is taking place.

Rings of Fate gives you a very slow burn romance that reads like a fairytale, with fast-paced action (at times) and some funny moments. Early on, a drunkard is forced to buy the entire bar a round of drinks because he didn’t follow the rule of not proposing marriage to the barmaid, Aren. She clearly takes no crap. She’s a surly and grumpy Cinderella kind of character, who works herself to the bone so her perfect twin sisters have everything they need. She wields a frying pan as a weapon (literally), and talks back to those who cross her. She’s independent and rough around the edges. I grew to appreciate her as a character, even if I didn’t have warm fuzzies towards her because she loves to talk about how she’s not like other girls, and identified with the jaded feelings she has towards certain aspects of her life. Then you’ve got Prince Dietan, who is softer and more emotional. He’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders (again, literally), and he brings a certain depth and vulnerability with his backstory. I liked the two of them together, although I wanted more chemistry. The banter between them was fun at first, but the relationship didn’t get the attention I wish it had been given as far as development goes. All of a sudden, bam. Love. I wasn’t entirely convinced. The journey was interesting, but became monotonous. This would have been the perfect time to develop their relationship like I’d hoped, but not a lot happened during this time. I enjoyed the characters they met along the way and it would have been fun to learn more about some of them. I really loved Dietan’s friends. They made the story for me!

There are some things that gave me pause. We are clearly not in our world, but all of our swear words are there and slang like “family jewels” when referring to Dietan’s genitals. Aren says “as if” at one point. That threw me off a little. Aren refers to her sisters as “my girls” a million times, and each time it felt strange to me. Their dad is still living and, while she is the sole breadwinner for the house and helped raise them, I found “my girls” to be an odd thing to call them. She also does literally use her pan as a weapon, defeating some evil monstrous… cloud of wind(?) who siphons the life out of people and can raze an entire village with a hard bonk to the head. It felt too easy.

I did like parts of Rings of Fate, and I’d recommend it to those looking for a lighter fantasy adventure. If you’re looking to dip your toes into the world of fantasy romance, this might be a good place to start. It was fun and easy to read, and sometimes that’s just what I need. I’m curious about what’s going to happen next, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next book.

Falling into Place by Allison Ashley | Book Review

Posted August 22, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

Falling into Place by Allison Ashley
Published by Montlake Romance on August 19, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 319
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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Finding a date for a reclusive bachelor is her job. It’s also a risk when she becomes the perfect match in an emotional and hopeful romance by the author of If Tomorrow Never Comes.

Accountant and freelance personal stylist Carly Porter, daughter of a compulsive gambler, knows the personal cost of a bad bet. But when she partners with her best friend, Sasha—publisher of a floundering fashion magazine—Carly can’t resist. The highly publicized makeover of an Oklahoma City bachelor could boost sales and be Carly’s ticket to her dream profession. The bachelor in question is none other than Sasha’s older brother, Brooks.

Hardly the party boy Carly remembers from high school, Brooks is now an antisocial, work-obsessed physician still struggling with a devastating loss. But if it means helping his sister, he’s in. It’s Carly’s job to get him out of those lived-in scrubs, style him to the nines, and bring Brooks back to life. But so far, the only real connection is between Brooks and Carly—and falling for a client could cost Carly the career she’s worked so hard for.

To move forward, they’ll both have to overcome their painful pasts. And whatever the risk, maybe even take a chance on love.

I’m an Allison Ashley fan, so when I was given the opportunity to review her latest release, Falling into Place, I jumped at the chance. Especially when it was pitched as “Bachelor-style matchmaking” with the best friend’s brother trope. Both are like candy to me! And this story was so, so sweet. I loved Carly and Brooks together. Their chemistry is out of this world, and the entire premise of the story is so charming and wholesome. Carly is working two jobs, but her real passion is the side hustle, aka personal shopper and fashion stylist, that she wants to turn into a full-time career. Her best friend, Sasha, wants to breathe new life into her struggling fashion magazine and reaches out to Carly with an opportunity that will help them both further their careers. Sasha wants Carly to give her brother, Brooks, a makeover so the magazine can do a little matchmaking and find him the love of his life. Brooks is a lonely doctor who loves his cat and his garden. He’s not really interested in finding love, but the magazine’s success is just as important to him as it is to his sister. Their mother built it from the ground up, and now that she has passed on Brooks and Sasha want to further her legacy. So this antisocial workaholic says yes to a highly publicized journey of dating to find his person. He and Carly begin working together to get him looking snazzy for all these dates. I’m sure you know where this is going, because this is a romance novel after all!

Like I said, this was such a sweet story. I loved watching Carly and Brooks become friends and confidants. They knew of each other in high school, but weren’t in the same social circles. Carly had a crush on him, but he didn’t really notice her. He was super popular and sounded like a player, but he’s changed and now he’s noticing Carly for who she is. So you’ve got a little bit of a friends to lovers thing going on with some history, and they have such fun flirtatious banter that I really enjoyed. Neither of them is looking for love, especially Carly who is fresh out of a relationship that ended due to proximity issues and not a falling out of love, so they’re reluctant to let those sparks fly. Their romance is also sort of forbidden. Carly isn’t allowed to get involved with a client and Brooks has to keep dating other women for the magazine, so this adds a very interesting layer of complication to the mix. There’s some heavier issues that come up, which they share with one another, and I love how Allison Ashley is able to juxtapose the heavy with the light. I was never depressed or sad, just hopeful right along with these two cinnamon rolls. I loved their slow burn romance. Some people complain about a slow burn, but I just love it. It feels so realistic to me because I am a very slow burner myself. It also made so much sense for Carly and Brooks for various reasons. I also really appreciated the fade-to-black romance because sometimes I’m not really in the mood to read the spice and want to focus more on the emotional connection. It was all just so much fun!

I really liked that this book focused on platonic relationships as well. I loved Brooks’s sisters and their relationship with Brooks. What a sweet family trio. Brooks’s relationship with his high school coach was also really nice. But, of course, Brooks and Carly stole the show for me. And that epilogue. Everything was tied up into a swoony little package that I adored. It was lovely watching these two work through their personal issues together and fall for one another in such a deep and meaningful way. I loved how everything shook out, and I’m definitely an Allison Ashley fangirl now. I can’t believe I haven’t read If Tomorrow Never Comes (I’ve seen the cover and heard the title, but for some reason never realized who the author is!), which is set in the same world as this book, so I need to go back and do that! Bottom line, Falling into Place was adorable and wholesome and very, very sweet. Highly recommended.

Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer | Book Review

Posted August 7, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer
Published by GP Putnam's Sons on August 5, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 360
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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From the beloved author of Four Weekends and a Funeral, a nostalgic, heartwarming romance about a Type-A woman who road trips through the Minnesotan woods with her non-committal childhood best friend . . . only for their long-suppressed sparks to burn like wildfire.

Twenty-nine year old Charley Beekman is thriving. Is she financially strapped, languishing in her legal career, and very likely the youngest divorcee at the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse on a Friday night? Yes. But, now that she's accepted the inherent flaws that lie in all romantic relationships, she finally has life all figured out! She's definitely due for an upswing.

So when her free-spirited sister announces her plan to elope with her messy on-again-off-again childhood sweetheart, Charley knows she has to stop the wedding, even if it means road-tripping into the northern woods of Minnesota in a camper van with her childhood best friend, Ethan, who’s as gorgeous as he is chronically unreliable.

But when their cozy journey ignites a spark she's tried to ignore for years, Charley tries to write off her feelings as fleeting. Because after failing at marriage so spectacularly with the most responsible man she's ever known, Charley definitely shouldn't risk it all for her non-committal, nomadic, musician best friend . . . right?

I loved, loved, loved Four Weekends and a Funeral last year so when I was given the opportunity to read Ellie’s sophomore novel I snatched it up immediately. This romantic comedy gives you a road trip, forced proximity, and the cutest friends to lovers trope. It gave me a much-needed escape and lots of goofy giggles. Ellie Palmer’s writing is just lovely, and I enjoyed this story so much. She does such a great job balancing humor and serious topics, giving readers a well-rounded and satisfying story. She’s also amazing at creating characters you can’t help but fall in love with.

Anywhere With You focuses on Charley and Ethan, childhood best friends who lost touch after Charley got married to a major jerk that Ethan hated from the get-go. One year later, Charley finalizes her divorce (Ethan was right) the same day her sister, Laurel, tells her she’s eloping with her own childhood best friend, Petey (who is also Ethan’s brother). Charley, Ethan, Laurel, and Petey were a dynamic group as kids, always together and always there for each other. I would have loved a friend situation like that! Heck, I still would! So when Laurel, whose a bit of a wildcard, announces that she’s getting married Charley starts to spiral. Ethan comes to town to help her recover from her divorce as only a best friend can, but instead the two of them set off on a road trip so Charley can make it to her sister’s marriage in time… to stop it. Ethan is all for Laurel and Petey getting married, but is supportive of Charley and drives her to the wedding in his fancy van (that he lives in).

The road trip was my favorite part. Ethan and Charley experience a spider incident, an ugly hangover, an unfortunate truck stop shower situation, finding themselves at the mercy of a man who controls all the goings-on in a small town, a very cold lake moment, and so much more. Their journey had me laughing so much, not to mention craving Dove Promises chocolate.

Charley is hilarious. The entire book is told from her point of view, and her inner dialogue and thoughts were so much fun to read. Ellie Palmer comes up with some of the funniest things. Charley’s anxious thoughts, self-deprecation, panic, and insecurities made me both laugh and sympathize with her. I don’t usually enjoy books that are so heavy on a character’s personal thoughts and reflections, but Charley was very entertaining. I loved that she has this big house, but has moved everything she owns (including her fridge) into her bedroom because she wants more control over her life and wants to contain it all in a small place. I loved that, in a panic, she throws together a bag of things she needs for this road trip but ends up not packing enough to actually be able to keep her going while she’s gone. She’s a workaholic, but learns to balance work and her life. She’s so regimented and rigid, and Ethan helps her learn to let loose a little. Ethan, a musician and van life influencer, never stays in one place for long. Unless you count Charley’s heart as a place, that is. Ethan has lived there forever, and I loved that. And who wouldn’t have a place for Ethan in their heart? He writes romantic songs and sends emergency chocolate and will drop anything to drive hours away to help someone he cares about through a tough time. He’s a wandering free spirit who, deep down, wants a reason to stay in one place. The two are so different, and that’s what makes them so perfect for each other. I loved Laurel and Petey, too. They are such funny characters, but also fiercely loyal. I loved Petey’s relationship with Ethan and Laurel’s relationship with Charley (even though it’s fiery and gets them into a little trouble every now and then).

I think my favorite part of a friends to lovers romance is the history between the characters. Flashback chapters allow us to delve into Ethan’s and Charley’s past, which I loved. They had the sweetest friendship as kids/teens. There’s also a lot of feelings and some confusion and a lot of mutual pining that has spanned years. I love a romance that has this kind of weight behind it. It just feels like it’ll work. And IT DOES. These two go through quite the confusing journey from friends to lovers, and it’s filled with tension and steam and passion. Charley’s fears of embracing more than just a friendship with Ethan felt very real and easy to understand.

All in all, I really enjoyed Anywhere with You! It’s funny, romantic, real, heartwarming, and even a little heartbreaking at times. I felt all the things, and ended up with a wonderful happily ever after. Ellie Palmer is two for two in my book, and I’m so excited to see what she writes next!

The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley | Book Review

Posted July 31, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 1 Comment

The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley
Published by Mira on August 1, 2023
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock-climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

I read and really enjoyed Would You Rather, so I was excited to read this companion novel! Would You Rather features Noah and Mia, both of whom make multiple important appearances in The Roommate Pact. Both of them are close friends with Claire and Graham, who take center stage in this book. So while The Roommate Pact works fine as a standalone, I recommend you reading Would You Rather first for Noah’s and Mia’s sweet marriage of convenience love story. One thing you can expect with an Allison Ashley book is an emotional story with some humor thrown in, and that’s exactly what you get with The Roommate Pact! As always, my main points are bolded.

1. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, so I was happy Allison Ashley chose to use it again in this book. Claire and Graham are roommates and good friends. He’s a firefighter (mmmmmm) and she’s a nurse. They made a silly pact to become friends with benefits at 40 if they are not in serious relationships at that point, so you know they already have a tiny thing for one another. While chatting outside one night, Claire realizes how seriously Graham took that pact. The feelings start to bloom between them then and there, and go into overdrive when Graham is injured. Claire offers to help him recover at home, and that’s where our love story begins.

2. I really liked Graham and Claire! Both of them have some trauma from their pasts that make them reluctant to entertain any kind of relationship with the other, which is where the friends with benefits idea came from. Graham has a risky lifestyle, being a firefighter and a hiker/rock climber, and Claire experienced loss as a child as a result of someone else’s risky lifestyle, so he’s kind of off limits for her. She doesn’t want to constantly worry about losing the person she ends up. Graham was burned as a teen, and vowed never to fall in love again. Both of them are in for a rude awakening when they discover that love always finds a way around these kinds of rules people set for themselves.

3. I said I liked Claire, but Graham has my heart and deserves a little more discussion. Claire suggests that he journal during his recovery, and he decides to write her long emails while she’s at work instead. He sends them to an email address she hasn’t checked in ages, and finds this outlet to be very therapeutic. He learns a lot about himself and is so vulnerable. I really felt for him and loved seeing him grow and change. He’s just such a good guy. He’s a protector, a provider, and I love him. Oh, and he falls first. So good.

4. GERTRUDE. There is a tiny dog with a huge attitude in this book and I LOVED her. Gertie is Graham’s little princess, and boy is she spoiled. This dog hates Claire with every fiber of her being, and it was the cutest and funniest journey for the two of them. Gertie brought a lot of comedic relief to the story, which I loved.

5. The romance is a little formulaic as far as the friends to lovers trope goes, but it was sweet in the end. Graham is unable to speak for a little while due to a small injury in the hospital after being intubated, so OF COURSE this means Claire needs to sleep in his bed with him every night even though he texts her all day long. How convenient! I enjoyed their friendship and their conversations. I loved the trip they take together to his parents’ house, and Claire’s interactions with his parents. SO sweet. I really enjoyed delving into their minds and learning what they truly think about one another. Graham’s emails, where he pours out his heart had me in a puddle. There’s so many feelings on both sides. On the surface, though, there’s a lot of physical attraction and that’s the bulk of what actually propels the romance forward. Because they decide to become friends with benefits a few years earlier than originally planned their relationship starts out very physically driven, even though the actual intimate scenes are fade-to-black (which I thought that was an odd choice considering the nature of their relationship). Their foundation was formed before the book begins so readers arrive on scene just in time for things to get physical. I guess I just wanted to see more of that depth, rather than be told it’s there. I felt like I was missing a lot of info that I needed to be able to fully believe the love story. There was a lot of telling and not much showing.

6. There’s a lot of discussion surrounding grief, loss, illness, fear of the unknown, and processing trauma. These topics were handled with respect and sensitivity, which I really appreciated. I don’t tend to enjoy heavier topics like these in my romance because I read to try and get away from my own inner demons. But Allison Ashley does such a good job tackling weightier subject matter, and juxtaposing it with humor and flirtatious banter.

So all in all, I enjoyed this! I really loved Graham and his little Gertrude. I enjoyed seeing Claire and Graham open up and express their fears and grapple with what they have been through individually in their pasts. I do wish I had been able to see more depth to their relationship, rather than being told about it, but I do really like them as a couple. I’m definitely interested in seeing what Allison Ashley has in store for us next.

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson | Book Review

Posted May 18, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson
Published by Thomas Nelson on May 16, 2023
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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From Park Avenue to the Parks Department—the world’s most beloved social media star is about to get a rude awakening.

With her millions of followers, Cat Cranwell is adored around the world. But when an app partnership goes very, very wrong, Cat suddenly finds herself shunned from the community that not only fed her soul all these years but paid her bills. When Cat’s closest living relative, Uncle Terry, offers her a position on his staff at a small national park in Montana to get away from the city, Cat hesitantly accepts the opportunity.

What she doesn’t realize is that as the new social media strategist her goal is to save Kannery National Park from being absorbed into Glacier National Park by boosting the number of visitors. And at least one of her new colleagues—namely, handsome and rugged ranger Zaiah Hudson—thinks social media is the root of everything that’s wrong with the world. Written with bestselling author Melissa Ferguson’s signature wit and charm, this romantic comedy of opposites attract is full of hilarious romp and a romance that will melt readers’ hearts.

As soon as I read the back cover synopsis for Famous for a Living, I knew it had the potential to be a book I would love. I loved the idea of a heroine who runs away to a small national park and finds love along the way. Outdoorsy settings are some of my favorites, and I was eager to jump in. While I enjoyed parts, Famous for a Living fell short for me and my overall feelings upon finishing were of disappointment.

This is a not the national park rom-com I was looking for. There’s a little wit and a little romance, but I think it would better serve the author and the book itself if Famous for a Living were marketed as women’s fiction. People looking for a romance will be disappointed. There’s inklings of a romance and some small flirtations here and there, but the romance doesn’t have much of a focus until the last 20ish% of the book. Because of this, I didn’t feel any chemistry with the main couple once they did finally decide to pursue a relationship. There was no time spent developing the romantic aspects of the story or even really allowing the characters time to get to know one another. More focus is placed on Cat’s journey of discovering that there’s more to life than social media, setting your phone aside, and living life in the moment. This is a great lesson to learn, but it’s one I didn’t personally need. I’m not on social media much and have never bought into the idea of influencers, social media celebrities, viral videos, sponsored posts, etc. I just follow my friends. I’ve never felt a person’s follower count determines how important their views and opinions are, and I’m not more likely to believe in something or buy something because a stranger on the Internet told me to. When I was first pitched Famous for a Living, I didn’t realize how much of an emphasis would be placed on social media so that was disappointing. It felt ranty and preachy at times.

I loved the idea of the setting, but I wanted so much more from it. I wanted more descriptions and for the place to feel special. I really liked Mina (Cat’s roommate), but I think she’s the only character I cared about. I appreciated Cat’s willingness to try and find balance in her life, but I didn’t like her from the moment I met her. She is devoted to social media, something that I cannot understand, is completely out of touch with reality, and I feel like she only learned something because she was put in the most ideal situation to do so. She went from being a famous social media influencer to… still being on social media. She’s super insecure and I just never connected with or felt bad for her. Her development throughout the book was weak as well. Zaiah never felt like a main character to me, and his backstory was meh. He’s pretty bland and boring, and faded into the background of the rest of the characters for me. I also didn’t love the writing style. There’s lots of short, choppy sentences and nothing was written in a way that grabbed me and made me want to continue flowing through the pages. Reading this was a chore.

All in all, this was a miss for me. I enjoyed Mina’s character, but other than that I didn’t enjoy Famous for a Living and will not be recommending it as a romance. If you’re looking for a women’s fiction title about an influencer on a journey of self-discovery you might like this, but be prepared to be inundated with a lot talk of social media.